Most people think Switzerland is expensive.
And whilst it's certainly not the cheapest destination in Europe, I wanted to see how much of the country I could experience in just four days using trains, hostels and a few carefully chosen treats.
Over four days, I visited Montreux, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, travelled on both the GoldenPass Belle Époque and GoldenPass Express, stayed in hostels and explored some of Switzerland's most spectacular scenery.
This was also one of the few solo trips I've taken in recent years, which gave me the chance to travel at my own pace, stay in hostels and focus entirely on experiencing Switzerland's famous scenic railways.
This wasn't a strict budget trip. I upgraded to 1st Class on the Belle Époque, travelled in Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express and visited attractions including Rinderberg and Grindelwald Glacier Canyon. However, by choosing hostels and booking cheap flights, the overall cost was still far lower than many people would expect.
Here's my full itinerary with costs. For context I travelled in July.
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✈️ Fly to Geneva and travel to Montreux
🏞️ Explore Montreux, Chillon Castle and Lake Geneva
🚂 GoldenPass Belle Époque to Zweisimmen
🚠 Visit Rinderberg
🚆 GoldenPass Express to Interlaken
🏔️ Evening trip to Lauterbrunnen
🌄 Explore Grindelwald and Glacier Canyon
🍜 Evening in Interlaken
🚆 GoldenPass Express to Montreux
🧀 Prestige Class and Swiss platter
✈️ Train to Geneva Airport and fly home
I flew into Geneva with easyJet, paying around £60 return for my flights.
Rather than staying in Geneva, I headed straight to Montreux by train. I deliberately purchased my train ticket after arriving rather than booking in advance. When flying, I prefer the flexibility of not being tied to a specific departure time in case of delays or long queues at the airport.
After arriving in Montreux, I walked from the station to Montreux Youth Hostel. The walk took around 20 minutes, but follows the shores of Lake Geneva and is a lovely introduction to the town.
I spent the afternoon exploring Montreux, walking along the lakeside promenade, visiting the Freddie Mercury statue and heading out to Chillon Castle.
As the sun began to set, I enjoyed dinner overlooking Lake Geneva before returning to the hostel.
I stayed at Montreux Youth Hostel, which cost £54.75 including city tax and breakfast. The hostel sits right on the shores of Lake Geneva and is around a 15-20 minute walk from Montreux station, making it a great base for exploring the town without needing any additional transport.
Montreux ended up being one of my favourite stops on the trip. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I returned later that year for the Montreux Christmas Market, which you can read about in my Montreux Christmas Market Guide.
After breakfast at the hostel, I checked out and walked back to Montreux station.
One of the reasons I'd planned this trip was to experience the GoldenPass route, often considered one of Switzerland's most scenic train journeys.
At 09:50, I boarded the GoldenPass Belle Époque in 1st Class for the journey to Zweisimmen.
The Belle Époque is unlike any other train I've travelled on. The vintage-style carriages feel more like stepping into the 1920s than travelling on a modern railway.
I've written a complete guide to the GoldenPass Belle Époque covering routes, prices, seat reservations and whether 1st Class is worth the extra cost.
When planning the trip, I was worried about missing the connection between the Belle Époque and the GoldenPass Express.
Because of this, I booked a much later departure from Zweisimmen than I actually needed.
As it turned out, Zweisimmen station is tiny. Everything is on one level and changing trains would have been incredibly easy.
Fortunately, my mistake turned into one of the highlights of the trip.
As I had several hours to spare, I wandered into the village and discovered the Rinderberg cable car.
I decided to head up the mountain, enjoy the views and have lunch before returning to the station later that afternoon.
The cable car cost £42.28 for the return journey which took around 20 minutes each way.
While not something I'd specifically travelled to Switzerland to do, it ended up being a really enjoyable detour and gave me a completely different perspective on the Bernese Oberland region.
Looking back, I didn't need to leave such a large gap between trains in Zweisimmen, but it ended up creating one of my favourite memories from the trip.
After lunch, I returned to Zweisimmen and boarded the GoldenPass Express to Interlaken.
This time I travelled in one of the sought-after Prestige Class seats.
The elevated seating gives you a fantastic view through the panoramic windows and made the journey feel particularly special.
If you're considering travelling on the GoldenPass Express yourself, I also have a dedicated guide covering Prestige Class, seat reservations and what to expect on board.
I arrived in Interlaken during the late afternoon and walked around 15 minutes to Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, where I'd be staying for the next two nights.
After checking in, I decided to make the most of the long summer evening and jumped on a train to Lauterbrunnen.
Lauterbrunnen is also incredibly easy to visit from Interlaken. Trains run every 30 minutes and the journey takes just 22 minutes. I've put together a full Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen Train Guide covering times, prices and what to expect.
Arriving in the evening turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip. The crowds had largely disappeared, the light was beautiful and Staubbach Falls looked incredible against the cliffs above the village. I spent a couple of hours wandering around before catching a later train back to Interlaken.
The original plan had been to visit Grindelwald First.
However, the weather forecast wasn't looking particularly promising.
Rather than pre-booking, I decided to wait until the day itself before making a decision.
When I arrived in Grindelwald, low cloud covered the mountains and visibility at Grindelwald First was virtually non-existent.
The activities were also sold out.
Instead, I changed plans and visited Grindelwald Glacier Canyon.
The Glacier Canyon cost £20 and turned out to be an excellent alternative on a wet day.
Accessible by bus from Grindelwald village, it follows a dramatic gorge carved through the rock by glacial meltwater.
If you're visiting during poor weather, I'd highly recommend considering it.
The walk itself is relatively easy and took me around an hour to explore at a leisurely pace. Along the route you'll find a series of walkways, viewing platforms, the famous spiderweb net suspended above the canyon and the popular Canyon Swing, which extends out over the gorge below.
Before leaving Interlaken, I picked up supplies from Coop, located next to Interlaken Ost station.
Buying picnic lunches from Swiss supermarkets is one of the easiest ways to reduce costs in Switzerland.
After exploring Grindelwald, I returned to Interlaken and enjoyed dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.
For my final day, it was time to head back towards Montreux on the GoldenPass Express.
I'd booked Prestige Class again and decided to treat myself to one of the pre-ordered platters featuring local Swiss products. It felt like a nice way to end the trip.
The scenery along the route is beautiful throughout, but the section approaching Montreux was probably my favourite. As the train descends towards Lake Geneva, the views are incredible and I spent most of the journey switching between taking photos and simply sitting back and enjoying it.
Once back in Montreux, I had a little time before heading to the airport, so it was a nice chance to enjoy the lakeside one last time before travelling home.
easyJet return flights: £60
Montreux Youth Hostel: £54.75
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof (2 nights): £120
Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen return: £15.44
Interlaken to Grindelwald return: £23.34
GoldenPass Belle Époque 1st Class (Montreux to Zweisimmen): £64
GoldenPass Express Prestige (Zweisimmen to Interlaken): £93
GoldenPass Express Prestige (Interlaken to Montreux): £137
Geneva Airport → Montreux £35
Montreux → Geneva Airport £20.40 (bought in advance)
Rinderberg cable car: £42.28
Grindelwald Glacier Canyon: £20
Total trip cost (excluding food and personal spending): approximately £685
This trip combined some of Switzerland's most famous destinations with two of the country's most scenic train journeys, but if I'm honest, the main reason for booking it was to experience the GoldenPass route for myself.
I specifically wanted to try what are considered the best seats on each train. That meant travelling in 1st Class on the Belle Époque and booking Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express. Those upgrades definitely add to the cost, but that's always been the Build a Break approach.
Build a Break has never really been about travelling as cheaply as possible. For me, it's about spending money on the experiences that matter most while finding savings elsewhere.
To make that work, I compromised elsewhere. As a solo traveller, hotel rooms in Switzerland during the summer were expensive, so I stayed in hostels instead. Both were clean, comfortable and in great locations, and the money I saved on accommodation allowed me to spend more on the train journeys that were the whole purpose of the trip.
I also travelled with just a backpack, which made getting on and off trains incredibly easy and meant I didn't spend the trip dragging a suitcase around Switzerland.
What I enjoyed most was the flexibility. Not everything went exactly to plan, but some of the best moments, including Rinderberg and my evening visit to Lauterbrunnen, happened because I changed my plans along the way.
For anyone considering a first trip to Switzerland, I think Montreux and Interlaken make an excellent combination, especially if you enjoy scenic train journeys, mountain scenery and exploring at your own pace.
➡️ GoldenPass Belle Époque Guide
➡️ GoldenPass Express vs GoldenPass Belle Epoque: Which to Choose
➡️ Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen by Train
➡️ 6 Day Switzerland Rail Itinerary
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